Fulani radio to educate herdsmen, fishermen, farmers, hunters — NBC

The National Broadcasting Commission has said the proposed
Fulani radio station will broadcast “purely educational,” programmes designed
to cater for the interest of itinerant fishermen, herders, hunters and farmers.

It also called on all broadcasting stations to exercise
restraint in the treatment of sensitive issues that could threaten the unity
and stability of Nigeria.

The commission, in response to criticism of the planned
radio station by Federal Government to reach Fulani herdsmen, urged
broadcasting stations to be professional and take guidance from the Nigeria
Broadcasting Code, at all times.

The NBC, in a statement on Saturday, reminded all
broadcasters to be mindful of their social responsibility to promote the
well-being and peaceful co-existence of the various groups in Nigeria in
keeping with the objectives of broadcasting in Nigeria.

It stated, “The commission is reacting to the media
controversy over the license granted to the National Commission for Nomadic
Education for the establishment of a radio station to operate on the AM band.

“The National Commission for Nomadic Education duly applied
for broadcast license in furtherance of its objectives to develop and maintain
nomadic education outreach programmes, including electronically mediated ones.

“The letter of provisional approval dated September 28,
2018, was issued to the National Commission for Nomadic Education. The duration
of the license is from October 8, 2018 to October 8, 2023.”

The NBC noted that the station’s programmes, which it
describes as “purely educational,” were designed to cater for the interest of
migrant fishermen, herders, hunters, farmers, and migrants.

It added, “Consequently, it is a misrepresentation for any
person or organisation to imply that the licensed station was just for a
particular group.

“The commission wishes to state that similar educational
broadcast licences were issued to institutions of higher learning and other
governmental institutions with comparable needs, such as the Armed Forces of
Nigeria, the Federal Road safety Commission, and related institutions.